For the longest time, Swiss German was exclusively a spoken language – everything written had to be in standard German. This has changed with the emergence of chat apps like Threema: with its informal character, instant messaging helped dialects find their way into written communication.
Now, text messages are no longer the only place where Swiss German appears in written form: Our instant messaging app itself is also available in Swiss German. However, anyone familiar with the subject knows that there is no such thing as Swiss German – it’s not one single language, the term rather summarizes various dialects that differ (often considerably) from region to region.
Since operating systems don’t take this characteristic into account and only allow for one language for Switzerland, we decided to translate the app into the dialect spoken in the Zurich Oberland region (the south-eastern part of the canton of Zurich) and often heard at our office. And since there is no official orthography, the translation of the Threema app is based on our own way of speaking.
To change the language of the app, please proceed as follows:
Android (from version 5.3): In the Threema app, tap the three dots in the top right corner, select “Settings > Appearance > Language,” and choose the desired language (e.g., “Schwiizertüütsch”).
iOS (from version 6.0): Open the system settings, scroll to Threema, and set the preferred language (e.g., “Schwiizerdüütsch (Schwiiz)”). Should this option not be available, you first need to add Swiss German in “General > Language & Region.”